


Newpapers

by Ayla221bee



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Mycroft Holmes, First Dates, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, University
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:15:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25093711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayla221bee/pseuds/Ayla221bee
Summary: "Each morning before the library opened at nine o'clock, Mycroft visited the student union without fail. He rather liked visiting the union at that time in the morning, hardly anyone was there. The newspapers had not been touched by anyone else and the pages were not wrinkled. Mycroft also enjoyed chatting to the attractive student with the charming grin when he ordered his tea and his croissant every morning."
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes & Greg Lestrade, Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	Newpapers

**Author's Note:**

> I already had this published in my fic collection of 'In The Most Delighful Way,' and the drabble that I had written had managed to grow arms and legs!

Mycroft had thought that he would have enjoyed university.

If he had to be honest, Mycroft prefered some aspects of university than others. He rather enjoyed the educational aspect of university. It was the first time in years that he had been  academically  challenged. He liked the large library and he could spend hours finding textbooks to read for leisure.

He did not enjoy being with other students. He found the majority of them to be loud, obnoxious, and  painfully  dull at times.  He found it frustrating how some students did not make an effort in lectures and how they asked for his notes as they had been out the night before .

The kitchen that he shared with five other students was in a constant state of chaos.  There seemed to be an unofficial competition for who could pile the most dishes in the sink before someone had to wash them  . Another completion or how long the bin could go unemptied. Mycroft often broke after day two and cleaned up the mess, it bothered him  terribly  . Mycroft kept his luxury goods hidden in his bedroom and kept his favourite mug in his desk. He had the suspicion that someone was stealing his teabags even though he had written his name on the box. It was impossible to sleep some nights, especially on the weeks.  He  was convinced  that the students who lived on the floor above wore shoes made of led and practised tapdancing right before he wanted to sleep .

He felt homesick in the first week of university and missed his brother  terribly  . Mycroft would never admit that information to anyone- it was far too embarrassing. He knew that Sherlock would tease him  terribly  if he found that piece of information out.

In the attempt to stop himself dwelling about how much he missed his family, Mycroft  reluctantly  decided to act on his mother's advice .

Mummy told him that he should go to the student union and try and be _'_ _social.'_ Mycroft was not sure what being _'social'_ entailed but he followed his mother's instructions and had taken up to reading the newspapers in the student union every morning  .  Mycroft had the feeling that mummy had expected him to go to the union during the evening and interact with other students while  slightly  intoxicated, but she did seem rather thrilled that he visited the student union every morning to read the paper instead of hiding in his bedroom all day with his books .

Each morning before the library opened at nine o'clock, Mycroft visited the student union without fail  . He rather liked visiting the union at that time in the morning, hardly anyone was there. The newspapers had not  been touched by  anyone else and the pages were not wrinkled.  Mycroft also enjoyed chatting to the attractive student with the charming grin when he ordered his tea and his croissant every morning .

Going to the student union, especially on days when Greg was working was often the highlight of his day.

He had never thought that anyone in an apron could be so attractive.  There was an odd feeling in his stomach when Greg flashed him a smile from the counter when he walked into the union each morning  . He always ended up chatting to Greg for quite some time by the till each morning. He  was convinced  that going to sit down in the comfortable armchair, felt almost painful at times.  He could hardly talk at times and his face and his ears would turn pink each time that Greg complimented the jumper that he wore or told him to have a good day .

Once he had sat down, Mycroft would hide his pink cheeks with the newspaper,  occasionally  glancing over the top of it to admire Greg at the counter .

He couldn't get his hopes up, he doubted that Greg would ever  be intrested .

Mycroft believed that his appearance had improved somewhat in the summer before he went off to university  .  He had managed to slim down  considerably  , even if his daily habit of croissants from the student union cafe was counterproductive at times  .  He had discovered hair product and  artificially  darkened his hair, and he had taken up to dressing better  .  His nose was still rather hawkish for his liking but he always congratulated himself each morning when Greg complimented his choice of jumper every morning or told him that he looked _'rather_ _ scholarly _ _,'_ on the days that he wore his glasses .

On a rare occasion, Mycroft felt rather brave and confident. On those mornings, he found himself determined to ask Greg if he wanted to go for a coffee.  He put the idea out of his head each time as he thought that it would be bad taste to ask someone who worked in a cafe if they wanted to go out for a coffee  .  He doubted that Greg would  be intrested  and he knew that he wouldn't be able to summon up the courage to speak to Greg without sounding like a fool  . He often found himself  terribly  tongue twisted when Greg spoke to him.

On one particularly quiet morning, Mycroft  was thrilled  to discover that he was the only student in the union cafe and that Greg was behind the counter . He wasn't too sure if he was imagining things, but he was rather convinced that Greg was as thrilled to see him as well.

Greg made his tea and warmed up his croissant without Mycroft even having to order.  As usual, Mycroft blushed  terribly  when Greg complimented his jumper and gave him that charming gin that turned his knees into jelly  .  He stayed at the till for longer than usual and chatted to Greg, laughing harder than he should at a stupid joke that Greg made  .  He  practically  swooned when Greg talked about his essay he was working on Oscar Wilde's poetry and talked about Wilde as if he was an old friend .

That particular morning, it  nearly  felt impossible to leave the till and sit in the armchair even if his tea was getting rather cold  .  He somehow managed to force himself to sit down in his favourite armchair and pretended to read the newspaper,  occasionally  looking over the top to catch glimpses of Greg .

"Alright if I join you?"

Mycroft let out a small noise that resembled a squeak when he  was dragged  out of his thoughts.  He pretended to clear his throat to hide the rather embarrassing noise that he had made, but Greg had seemed rather amused by it .

"I'm on my break and there's no one else here," Greg said, "I thought that  I might  sit on one of the comfortable chairs for once." He pushed over a packet of shortbread biscuits as if they would influence his decision.

"That would be perfect...I would not mind in the slightest," Mycroft said rather  quickly  and feared that he founded too keen  . He could already feel his cheeks start to burn  terribly  and felt more flustered that he would have liked to be.  He pretended to read the newspaper once he  was convinced  that he was making a fool of himself the more that he attempted to speak .

It was at that moment Mycroft had the sudden desire to never return to the student union and to  perhaps  move to Nepal and live as a goat with how much he had embarrassed himself .

He had  fully  expected Greg to  suddenly  change his mind and take his break elsewhere,  however  , Greg had remained and started to talk about Wilde once more . It was the first time in Mycroft's life that he was rather pleased to be wrong.

Mycroft left the student union cafe when he realised that he was at risk of being rather late for his afternoon lecture .

He found it rather odd how Greg had been rather insistent on him keeping the newspaper that he had failed to read, conversation with Greg had been far too enjoyable and flowed  easily  between them and he had lost track of the time, he barely  had a look through the main headlines  .  He had tried to give money for the paper but Greg refused to take any of it and told him that he should visit the union later on .

Mycroft attempted to read the newspaper outside the lecture hall and stopped reading at the first page.

He noticed on the top of the newspaper in biro was a phone number accompanied by the message of _'_ _call me :) '_ scrawled in messy handwriting .

Mycroft grinned to himself as he walked into the lecture hall.


End file.
